BACK in Britain is Mitsubishi’s rugged and practical Shogun Sport, offering a combination of excellent off-road capability with good on-road driving manners.

It’s now more refined and luxurious to compete against the hoards of rivals in the growing SUV market which include Land Rover’s Discovery, the Kia Sorento and Toyota Land Cruiser. With a starting cost of £37,775, the Sport offers a comfortable and spacious new cabin, seven seats and numerous styling and structural changes for extra driver and passenger comforts. There is a large boot and rear seats that fold flat.

The rebirth of the legend should please the many lovers of the Shogun, which has been on sale for a number of years. So it is no surprise that Mitsubishi is expecting to sell more than 3,000 units a year in the UK alone.

Imported from Australia, the well-built Sport is powered by a turbocharged 2.4-litre four-cylinder diesel engine, developing 179bhp and a splendid 430Nm of torque or pulling power. The motor is mated to a new smooth-acting eight-speed automatic gearbox with a manual override available when the going gets really tough off-road. On the highway the Shogun is no slouch with a top speed of 112mph and a 0-62mph time of 11 seconds. Economy is fair at 32.8mpg overall while C02 emissions are 227 (g/km).

Towing prowess is a must for many owners and the Sport can boast a first-rate towing capacity of more than three tonnes. But where the vehicle really shines is off-road. Here it has a depth of talent and helping to make it special is an expensive multi-link suspension set up at the rear and Mitsubishi’s super-select all-wheel drive system, low range gearbox and locking differentials. There is also a terrain selector with different modes for snow and mud, gravel, sand and rocky surfaces while the wading depth is 700mm. Having all these controls on hand is very reassuring for the driver and passengers and is like having an expert in the cab.

Combining the stance of a mud-plugger with on-road excellence is not easy and while the Sport is outstanding in the rough its composure on the tarmac is not always as comfortable as some leading rivals, though it does ride well at motorway speeds. All in all, it is a very useful all-purpose vehicle. The Sport is based on the strong platform of Mitsubishi’s new L200 pick-up and the quality of build is evident throughout. Indeed, Shoguns have a reputation for possessing the merit of durability. There are two high-specification versions available from launch with large kit lists. Standard features also include leather seats, hill descent control, trailer and hill start assist.

Roy Lewis